Lancing device

• US 7,510,564 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mace, Chad Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Manahan; Todd E
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/607,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 606/181
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150847 Communication to or from blood sampling device transmitting measured data A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood

Abstract

A lancing device is adapted for use in firing a lancet into the skin of a patient to acquire a blood sample and, subsequent thereto, calculating and displaying the concentration of glucose in the acquired sample. In one embodiment, the device comprises a lancet and a torsion spring coupled to the lancet through a lancet holder. The torsion spring includes inner, middle and outer rings which are concentrically configured, a plurality of activation spring arms which connect the middle and outer rings and a plurality of return spring arms which connect the inner and middle rings. In use, the plurality of activation and return spring arms can be independently transformed between energized and de-energized states using a single, button-shaped mechanism. Rotation of the mechanism is used to energize the activation and return spring arms. With the return spring arms maintained in their energized state, depression of the mechanism transforms the activation spring arms from their energized state to their de-energized state which drives the lancet from a retracted position to an extended position. Once the activation spring arms reach their de-energized state, the return spring arms transform from their energized state to their de-energized state which pulls the lancet back from its extended position to its retracted position.

Claims

1. A lancing device comprising:

(a) a lancet, said lancet having a sharpened tip, and

(b) a torsion spring coupled to said lancet said torsion spring comprising,

(i) a closed inner ring,

(ii) a closed middle ring concentrically configured around said inner ring,

(iii) a closed outer ring concentrically configured around said middle ring,

(iv) a first spring arm connecting said middle ring to said outer ring, and (v) a second spring arm connecting said inner ring to said middle ring,

wherein each of said first and second spring arms is independently transformable between an energized state and a de-energized state.

2. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring along an arcuate path.

3. The lancing device of claim 2 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring along an arcuate path.

4. The lancing device of claim 3 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring in the opposite direction in which said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring.

5. The lancing device of claim 1 further comprising a housing shaped to define an interior cavity and an opening in communication with said interior cavity.

6. The lancing device of claim 5 wherein said lancet is adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned within the interior cavity of said housing and an extended position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned outside of the interior cavity of said housing.

7. The lancing device of claim 6 wherein said lancet is disposed in its retracted position when each of said first and second spring arms is in its de-energized state.

8. The lancing device of claim 7 wherein, with said second spring arm maintained in its energized state, transformation of said first spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its retracted position to its extended position.

9. The lancing device of claim 8 wherein, with said first spring arm maintained in its de-energized state, transformation of said second spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its extended position to its retracted position.

10. The lancing device of claim 1 wherein the inner ring of said torsion spring is fixedly coupled to said housing.

11. The lancing device of claim 10 further comprising:

(a) a lancet holder for holding said lancet, said lancet holder being fixedly coupled to the outer ring of said torsion spring, and (b) a latch for selectively engaging said lancet holder.

12. The lancing device of claim 11 further comprising:

(a) a spring holder fixedly coupled to the middle ring of said torsion spring, and (b) a ratchet for selectively engaging said spring holder.

13. The lancing device of claim 12 further comprising a mechanism fixedly coupled to said spring holder for selectively contacting said latch.

14. A lancing device comprising:

(a) a lancet, said lancet having a sharpened tip, and

(b) a torsion spring coupled to said lancet said torsion spring comprising,

(i) a closed inner ring,

(ii) a closed middle ring concentrically configured around said inner ring,

(iii) a closed outer ring concentrically configured around said middle ring,

(iv) a first spring arm connecting said middle ring to said outer ring, and (v) a second spring arm connecting said inner ring to said middle ring,

wherein, with said second spring arm maintained in its energized state, transformation of said first spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its retracted position to its extended position.

15. The lancing device of claim 14 wherein said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring along an arcuate path.

16. The lancing device of claim 15 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring along an arcuate path.

17. The lancing device of claim 16 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring in the opposite direction in which said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring.

18. The lancing device of claim 14 wherein each of said first and second spring arms is independently transformable between an energized state and a de-energized state.

19. The lancing device of claim 18 further comprising a housing shaped to define an interior cavity and an opening in communication with said interior cavity.

20. The lancing device of claim 19 wherein said lancet is adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned within the interior cavity of said housing and an extended position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned outside of the interior cavity of said housing.

21. The lancing device of claim 19 wherein said lancet is disposed in its retracted position when each of said first and second spring arms is in its de-energized state.

22. The lancing device of claim 14 wherein, with said first spring arm maintained in its de-energized state, transformation of said second spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its extended position to its retracted position.

23. The lancing device of claim 14 wherein the inner ring of said torsion spring is fixedly coupled to said housing.

24. The lancing device of claim 23 further comprising:

(a) a lancet holder for holding said lancet, said lancet holder being fixedly coupled to the outer ring of said torsion spring, and (b) a latch for selectively engaging said lancet holder.

25. The lancing device of claim 24 further comprising:

(a) a spring holder fixedly coupled to the middle ring of said torsion spring, and (b) a ratchet for selectively engaging said spring holder.

26. The lancing device of claim 25 further comprising a mechanism fixedly coupled to said spring holder for selectively contacting said latch.

27. A lancing device comprising:

(a) a lancet, said lancet having a sharpened tip,

(b) a torsion spring coupled to said lancet said torsion spring comprising,

(i) a closed inner ring,

(ii) a closed middle ring concentrically configured around said inner ring,

(iii) a closed outer ring concentrically configured around said middle ring,

(iv) a first spring arm connecting said middle ring to said outer ring, and (v) a second spring arm connecting said inner ring to said middle ring,

(c) a spring holder fixedly coupled to the middle ring of said torsion spring, and

(d) a ratchet for selectively engaging said spring holder.

28. The lancing device of claim 27 wherein said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring along an arcuate path.

29. The lancing device of claim 28 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring along an arcuate path.

30. The lancing device of claim 29 wherein said second spring arm extends from said inner ring to said middle ring in the opposite direction in which said first spring arm extends from said middle ring to said outer ring.

31. The lancing device of claim 27 wherein each of said first and second spring arms is independently transformable between an energized state and a de-energized state.

32. The lancing device of claim 31 further comprising a housing shaped to define an interior cavity and an opening in communication with said interior cavity.

33. The lancing device of claim 32 wherein said lancet is adapted for movement between a retracted position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned within the interior cavity of said housing and an extended position in which the sharpened tip of said lancet is positioned outside of the interior cavity of said housing.

34. The lancing device of claim 33 wherein said lancet is disposed in its retracted position when each of said first and second spring arms is in its de-energized state.

35. The lancing device of claim 34 wherein, with said second spring arm maintained in its energized state, transformation of said first spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its retracted position to its extended position.

36. The lancing device of claim 35 wherein, with said first spring arm maintained in its de-energized state, transformation of said second spring arm from its energized state to its de-energized state serves to drive said lancet from its extended position to its retracted position.

37. The lancing device of claim 27 wherein the inner ring of said torsion spring is fixedly coupled to said housing.

38. The lancing device of claim 37 further comprising:

(a) a lancet holder for holding said lancet, said lancet holder being fixedly coupled to the outer ring of said torsion spring, and (b) a latch for selectively engaging said lancet holder.

39. The lancing device of claim 27 further comprising a mechanism fixedly coupled to said spring holder for selectively contacting said latch.